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Engineering Leader
Decentralization Isn't Autonomy Without Power
Nicolas Cava
Edited onEdited on Aug 15, 2025
Reading timeReading time: 1 minute
Autonomy without power is theater.
True decentralization means:
- Budgets and ownership at the team level
- Minimal supervision—trust over control
- Self-service interfaces so teams don't wait on each other
- Collaboration only when it makes sense
Alignment comes from vision and strategy. Not from forcing the same process on everyone.
Most "standards" are just leadership's way of staying comfortable. Question every single one.
Inconsistency is fine—as long as your interfaces are clean and defined.
Would your team still thrive if leaders disappeared for 3 months?
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